Do you like graphic novels and food? Here are some fun reads about life in the kitchen, opening a new restaurant and solving crimes by eating. In her mouth-watering memoir, Lucy Knisley shares charming tales and delightful drawings about growing up around chefs, food travel adventures and cooking. Each chapter is bookended with sumptuously drawn…

We're challenging the kids of Chicago to find Springtime in the City from April 1 to April 17. Play an outdoor game, investigate nature in your neighborhood or discover why we have seasons. To complete the challenge: Read (book, magazine or website) for 20 minutes a day for five days of spring break Discover new information by…

Legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim will receive this year's Carl Sandburg Literary Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation and the Chicago Public Library. The Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner will feature Sondheim in conversation with NPR's Scott Simon on October 21 at The Forum on the campus of the University of Illinois at…

As Women's History Month winds down and National Poetry Month starts, I thought this would be a good time to look at some important women in music, or more like women in music whose lyrics influence and inspire me. These women paved roads, ruined hearts and broke down walls. Their lyrics and music speak of passion, anger, rage and love. They sang the…

Nobody knew the blues like Muddy Waters. Although he was born in Mississippi on April 4, 1915, Waters spent a considerable amount of time right here in sweet home Chicago. It’s here that he electrified the blues with his slide guitar skills, making the blues sound like what it is today. He is widely regarded for making Chicago…

As we acknowledge the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, it's possible you've had to do some research. There are some fantastic books out there where you can read all about it, but the images and art from that time period really help bring the conflict to life. There are many online resources you can access…

Recently there have been rumors of a reboot of the television series The X-Files. Longtime fans like me are hoping the rumors become truth and that the original stars are on board. The television series ended more than two decades ago, and the last episodes of the final season left many viewers wanting more. A lot has…

Hey kids, April Fools' Day is coming! Be prepared this year with the many great resources the library has for pranks or jokes you can play. Pranklopedia is a fun illustrated guide to pranks from classics like the fake sneeze or garlic breath mint to more modern tricks like causing computer desktop confusion. With lists of required items…

Despite a few snowy days, spring has officially arrived and March is almost over. Let's wrap up Women's History Month by highlighting the contributions of two Chicago women. Vivian G. Harsh The first African American branch head at the Chicago Public Library and an early leader in the movement to preserve African American history, Vivian Gordon Harsh was often described as…

People in the financial industries often refer to New York as Wall Street, London as the City and Tokyo as Kabuto-cho, all microscopic portions of large cities. Chicago is known as La Salle Street. For the financial world, La Salle Street is a narrow urban canyon stretching the three blocks from Madison to Jackson Street…